Warp core
Warp core was the common designation for the main energy reactor powering the propulsion system on warp-capable starships. During the 22nd century, warp reactors aboard starships were technically known as the "gravimetric field displacement manifold". ( ) The reactor had eight major components. ( ) A less common name for this core was antimatter reactor core. ( , display graphic) The first Terran warp core was invented by Zefram Cochrane in 2061 and used in Humanity's first warp-capable vessel, the Phoenix, in 2063. This in turn led to the event known as First Contact Day, in which the Human species met the Vulcans. ( ; ) On Federation starships, the warp core usually consisted of a matter/antimatter reaction assembly (M/ARA) utilizing deuterium and antideuterium reacting in a dilithium crystal matrix, producing a maximum output of four thousand teradynes per second. ( ) 22nd century warp cores were designed as oblong cylinders connected by pylon conduits directly into the warp nacelles. ( ) In the 23rd century, the warp core was not situated in the main engineering. The main warp reaction occurred in a dilithium crystal converter assembly, which consisted of two flattened rounded nodules situated directly in front of and connected to the warp plasma conduits to the warp engines, which were behind a large metal grate. ( ; ) By 2270, most Federation warp cores were redesigned to consist of a large warp core unit in the secondary hull with matter and antimatter channeling into the core through vertical conduits, with the resulting energy directed to the nacelles through a horizontal conduit leading out from the rear of the core. ( ) warp core, only the dilithium crystal converter assembly and the warp engine plasma conduits were ever seen in . The first season had a dilithium crystal energizer room only seen in "The Alternative factor". It is likely the predecessor to the dilithium crystal converter assembly from seasons two and three. The tech evolved over the course of the series. The engine room was modified after season one to include the dilithium crystal converter, two round nodules with the crystal chamber in between placed in the center of main engineering. The warp plasma conduits were two rows of five tall white tubes with pulsating red light behind a safety grate at the back of the main engine room. This was seen throughout the series' three seasons. When Doug Drexler was called to design the detailed schematics of a Constitution-class starship, he included a vertical core from the dilithium crystal assembly intersecting a horizontal warp core that ran two decks below main engineering. This was the M/ARA or integrator, utilizing an intermix chamber for the reaction to occur. The resulting plasma, energized by the dilithium crystal converter assembly into warp plasma, was transferred to the warp engines through the warp plasma conduits. The Drexler schematic made a prominent appearance on screen in .| also featured a vertical component of the warp core that extended from the dilithium crystal assembly. This was a logical progression of the technology to that seen in .|As evidenced by the second draft script of , the 22nd century warp core aboard an starship was originally designed to be vertical and extend through a deck, with a top which was high. A series of levers was at the bottom of the towering engine, and "pulsing pillars of plasma" occasionally rose up through the warp core. Drawing inspiration from the engine of the Constitution-class in and motivated by wanting to clearly show the NX-class was a relatively early ship, Production Designer Herman Zimmerman suggested that the NX-class engine be of a horizontal configuration, an idea that was quickly approved by series co-creators and Executive Producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. ( ; ) Changing the engine's orientation made the warp core look obviously different from its equivalents in later Star Trek chronology, warp cores that had typically been vertically positioned. ( ) The "Broken Bow" script was changed to reflect the alteration and, in the revised final draft of the script, the warp core was described as extending "horizontally across the room." Zimmerman noted, "We talked of a honeycomb design with multiple push and pull rods, accessible through open-able doors." ( , paperback ed., p. 269) However, the design of the warp core fell into place very quickly. Additionally, because it was to be represented as an engine which required a great deal of maintenance, the warp core was designed to incorporate enough controls and access panels that the crew could busy themselves with working on it. ( ) Concerning how the warp core turned out, Zimmerman remarked, "It doesn't look like you can't understand it or that it wouldn't break down if all the components weren't working perfectly. So, it's a more realistic propulsion system than the fantastic propulsion system." ( , paperback ed., p. 269)}} As a safety precaution, the core could be physically ejected from the ship, should an event such as a catastrophic containment failure of the matter-antimatter reaction occur that could not be corrected. There were also some tactical uses for ejecting and detonating a core on purpose. The detonation could, for example, be used to neutralize the cascade of a subspace tear or to push a ship away from the gravity well of a black hole. ( ; ; ; ; ) Antimatter containment was achieved through the use of magnetic fields, which guided and directed the antimatter through the antimatter integrator to injector coils, which precisely compressed and streamed the antimatter into the form which entered the intermix chamber. Deuterium, stored in the ship or attracted by the Bussard collectors, was funneled in a stream from the opposite deuterium injector. The resulting energy plasma molecules entered the lattice matrix of the crystallized dilithium chamber, reacting within it and releasing a tuned energy stream in the form of electro-plasma, a highly energetic form of plasma. The electro-plasma was carried by magnetic plasma conduits throughout the power transfer system. In the Federation power transfer grid, this was the electro-plasma distribution network, comprised of EPS conduits and EPS taps. The most energized stream created was the warp plasma, which exited in twin power transfer conduits connected to the warp nacelles. ( ; ) During the 23rd century, dilithium crystals were also used in Klingon warp reactions to generate energy at sufficient levels to enable warp flight. In the late 24th century, Klingon reactors used a tritium intermix, a feature not included in Federation and Romulan ships of the same era. ( ) On Romulan starships, a completely different approach was used; an artificial quantum singularity in the warp core harnessed the energy necessary to power warp flight. ( ) Warp cores on starships left resonance traces, allowing for the ability to track vessels. ( ) A warp core could be towed at warp using a tractor beam if calibrated properly. ( ) When a warp core went offline, deuterium was a vital fuel to support basic functions of a ship's auxiliary fusion reactors and impulse drive. Warp cores from shuttlecraft and shuttlepods could augment power, if necessary. ( ) Gallery File:NX class warp core.jpg|The warp core of an starship File:USS Enterprise (alternate universe) warp cores.jpg|Multiple warp cores of the (alternate reality, 2258) File:Constitution class warp core exterior, alternate reality.jpg|The exterior of the warp core of the Constitution-class (alternate reality, 2259) File:Constitution class warp core interior, alternate reality.jpg|The interior of the warp core of the Constitution-class (alternate reality, 2259) File:USS Enterprise Main engineering 2250s.jpg|Warp core of starship (2250s) File:Constitution original engineering2.jpg|The warp core of a Constitution-class starship (2266) File:Constitution class refit engineering.jpg|The warp core of a Constitution-class refit starship (2270s) File:Constitution Engineering.jpg|The warp core of a Constitution-class refit starship (2293) File:USS Hathaway warp core.jpg|The warp core of a Constitution-class starship File:Galaxy class warp core.jpg|A forward view of a warp core on a starship File:Galaxy warp core elevated view.jpg|An elevated view of the warp core on a Galaxy-class starship File:Defiant Main Engineering.jpg|The warp core of a starship File:USS Equinox warp core.jpg|The enhanced warp core of a starship File:VoyagerWarpCore.jpg|The warp core of an starship File:USS Voyager warp core offline.png|The offline warp core of an starship File:Sovereign Warp Core.jpg|The warp core of a starship File:Delta Flyer warp core.jpg|The warp core of the shuttle File:Dderidex-engine core.jpg|The engine core of a warbird cs:Warp jádro de:Warpkern es:Núcleo Warp fr:Réacteur de distorsion it:Nucleo di curvatura ja:ワープ・コア mu:Warp reactor nl:Warpkern Category:Warp Category:Energy technology